Successful vote could change our game
This week the FIFA World Cup will begin as it usually does — with one featured match to mark the opening of a long-anticipated month of soccer.
In this case, it’s Russia-Saudi Arabia in Moscow on Thursday. Residing as we are in a big-event universe, that’s about as understated a Day One schedule as could be conjured. Which is perhaps one of the reasons why organizers of North America’s bid for the 2026 World Cup, should their entry prevail over rival Morocco in Wednesday’s vote by FIFA’s delegates, envision Day One unfolding differently eight years hence.
The voices behind the United Bid, the proposal to hold the tournament primarily in the United States, with a sprinkling of games in Mexico and Canada, have been pitching the first day as a three-country, three-match extravaganza. Peter Montopoli, the general secretary of Canada Soccer and Canada’s bid director, said in an interview this week that one iteration of the plan features an opening match in Mexico City at vaunted Azteca Stadium, another game in the United States — possibly at the Rose Bowl, the L.A.-area landmark that hosted the final of the 1994 World Cup — and a third at BMO Field in Toronto, which has been billed to FIFA’s delegates as “the most diverse city in the world.”
Montopoli, who’s been among those travelling the globe making the United Bid’s case, said it’s his gut feeling that FIFA’s power brokers have been moved by the idea of making bigger impact on opening day.
“You can almost see it in their eyes. It’s a real special moment when we speak of the three cities and the three countries and a nine-hour celebration,” Montopoli said. “For us, it’s a very exciting concept. We’d love to see Toronto be a part of that … It’s not traditional. But it is unique.
“And with three countries hosting, it could be a template for the future as well.”
In many ways, North America’s bid for the world’s grandest sporting event has the look of a runaway winner. Last week FIFA’s inspectors awarded the United Bid a significantly higher score than the Moroccan bid, flagging Morocco’s infrastructure issues as high risk. The projected revenue of the North American bid has been estimated at $14.3 billion, nearly double Morocco’s $7.2 billion.
And while the report noted North America already boasts a surplus of stadium stock that mostly meets FIFA’s standard, Morocco has proposed to spend $16 billion to either build or renovate 14 stadiums.
Still, common sense doesn’t always prevail in the historically murky world of international soccer decisions. The last time FIFA held a vote to determine the hosts of the 2018 and 2022 tournaments, back in 2010, the result was followed by years of accusation and investigation.
Each of FIFA’s 221 member countries will receive one vote apiece Wednesday — they all count the same, no matter the size of the nation. A simple majority will carry the day. One can only assume every ballot will be cast after laborious due diligence.
But never mind the hovering prospect of dirty pool.
There are those who believe the North American bid was put behind the proverbial eight ball by U.S. President Donald Trump, who tweeted back in April that it “would be a shame if countries that we always support were to lobby against the U.S. bid.”
“Why should we be supporting these countries when they don’t support us (including at the United Nations)?” Trump’s tweet continued.
It sounded very much like a veiled threat to reconsider aid to countries expected to support Morocco’s bid. And when FIFA promptly dispatched a warning against the use of political influence in the bid process, Trump only reiterated his message.
While the United Bid’s organizers have downplayed Trump’s comments, insisting they’re happy to have the president’s support, the international image of the U.S. leader is among a handful of factors that make the vote a wild card. In other words, it’s possible the North American bid can be the winner in every category and still lose.
To John Herdman, that’d be an opportunity lost for Canadian soccer. The longtime coach of Canada’s women’s national team who was installed as head coach of the men’s program in January, Herdman said winning the bid would be “a tipping point” for the sport in this country. Under the proposal the U.S. would host 60 games while Canada and Mexico would get 10 apiece. Toronto, Edmonton and Montreal are included as prospective host cities in the United 2026 bid.
“This could and will change our country forever,” Herdman said in a recent interview.
Herdman said the prospect of hosting games in 2026 — and receiving the presumed automatic bid that would come with the privilege — could be the catalyst to end the petty infighting and disunity that has chronically dogged the sport in this country.
“We’ve got to lay down the axes we’ve been wielding, and genuinely, as a country, unite. Because it’s called the United Bid,” Herdman said. “But this is about Canada now. This is about our country looking to the one thing that’s needed to really take this country over that edge … If we can unite, connect, get alignment, get clarity, then everyone can focus, turn the right way and work toward that one thing. To help our team win.”
Herdman was speaking earlier this week from France, where he was on the sideline as Canada’s under-21 national team competed at the prestigious Toulon Tournament. Canada, in its first appearance at the competition, finished sixth of 12 teams. But more impressive was an undefeated run through the group stage before just missing out on the semifinal. Still, Herdman said no less than eight of Canada’s best under-21 players declined to play in the tournament, in part, he suspects, because playing for Canada doesn’t come with sufficient cachet.
“This is the most prestigious tournament in the world for a youth team. France have got their best youth players here. Portugal have got a 35-millionpound player in their lineup. They bring their best,” Herdman said. “And eight of our players couldn’t turn up to this event for multiple reasons. Good reasons, some of them. But all related to this (Canada) shirt isn’t as meaningful.”
Herdman believes a successful bid would change that. With 2026 as a target, every developmental tournament between now and then would take on new meaning.
“This moment now, landing this World Cup, will have every player who’s deciding whether they want to play for Canada … they’ll be thinking twice now,” Herdman said. “Because they can see a World Cup coming their way. It’s a defining moment for us.”
Defining, perhaps. Predictable, no.
“Based on many of the meetings we feel very comfortable where we are. But it is a competition and we continue to work very hard,” said Montopoli. “We’ll continue to work hard when we get to Moscow to sell the merits of our bid. All along, we’ve felt the unity, certainty and opportunity in our bid stands alone.”
As of Saturday afternoon, The New York Times had counted 17 FIFA delegates committed to supporting Morocco, including France and Russia, and 23 committed to voting for the United Bid. Another nine were said to be “leaning” toward Morocco while just one leaned North America’s way. That left 157 votes clouded in uncertainty, and who knows what else.